We all have our old favourites – whether it’s a favourite chair, a favourite movie to watch on DVD, a favourite meal. In my family, the ‘old favourite’ is Mum’s corned beef hash eaten in front of something like Ghostbusters on a Sunday evening. It just never gets old.

Whilst cheap, canned beef and Bill Murray have little to do with b2b marketing (although the Ghostbusters were obviously well branded), falling into the comfort zone is something that most companies are guilty of from time to time. I don’t know whether it’s something to do with the recession, but I’ve seen a definite trend towards businesses falling back on ‘old favourites’ in recent years – if it isn’t broken, why try to fix it?

Sometimes it’s the fact that something is not broken which is exactly why it’s time to fix it. Let’s mix things up a little bit!

For instance, my bank (who’ll I’ll not name and shame!) routinely send me DM packs and brochures. It used to be the fact that they would use clever die cuts, have interesting formats and so on – now it’s the self-same self-sealing piece over and over again. Their brand is so rigid that everything looks almost identical.

Is this good marketing? Well, it’s not dreadful – but it’s criminally uninspiring.

Why would they do this? It might well be that they’ve trimmed their budgets a little for operational reasons, but in reality it’s probably the case that they’ve decided this format is simply proven to work.

Of course, that argument holds weight – but what if they set the bar a little higher? The format they’ve settled on is probably the cheapest possible, but in the volumes they send things out, it would cost very little indeed to do something more interesting.

Indeed, it might not cost more at all – their agency could be asked to contribute bolder ideas, whilst still remaining on brand.

As an agency, the most exciting briefs to work on are those when the client asks you to challenge their expectations. Of course, what they might then come up with could well be too far for your brand, but it’s always easier to cut something back than make it bigger. You might even see an idea that’s entirely unsuitable – but makes you think differently about how your brand could express itself. Sometimes that’s the best result of all.

There’ll always be room for corned beef hash and Ghostbusters, but it wouldn’t be as fun if it was every Sunday night. The same principal should apply to your b2b marketing – be bold, and never been afraid to ask your agency to challenge you! Here at Marketecture, we’re more than up to the challenge.

]]>http://www.marketecture.co.uk/news/2015/07/old-favourites/feed/0A Changing Industry for a Changing Country?http://www.marketecture.co.uk/news/2015/07/a-changing-industry-for-a-changing-country/
http://www.marketecture.co.uk/news/2015/07/a-changing-industry-for-a-changing-country/#commentsMon, 27 Jul 2015 08:19:18 +0000http://www.marketecture.co.uk/?p=7610One of the nice things about working in the Marketing, Advertising and Design industry is that it’s a very fair-minded environment. People are very tolerant of difference – if not...

One of the nice things about working in the Marketing, Advertising and Design industry is that it’s a very fair-minded environment. People are very tolerant of difference – if not always entirely PC – and, in general, I would describe most people I’ve met in this industry as liberal. Did you know that the average designer is composed of 34% flax seed, for instance?

As someone who grew up in the almost entirely mono-cultural countryside, I am perhaps more sensitive to diversity than many of my colleagues. It’s not that I just ‘feel it more’ or anything like that, it’s simply that diversity isn’t something that I experienced much of as a younger person.

I first moved to Manchester for university when I was 18 years old. This was the week after the world-changing events of 9/11 in the United States. My uni halls were in Victoria Park in Rusholme – a largely Muslim area that’s home to the famous Curry Mile. I don’t believe I’d ever seen a mosque prior to my arrival here – and it was under armed guard from the Police out of fear of reprisal attacks. It’s hard to believe now, but it really was a time of very high tensions – and a strange introduction to a more diverse world for me personally.

Since then, I have really enjoyed experiencing the different cultures in and around Manchester. It’s been a real eye-opener to see how different people live, and particularly to discover how porous the concept of Britishness really is – it doesn’t take long at all for other cultures to seep into our own. You only have to look at our food, a good curry is every bit as British as fish and chips. We’re an accepting people.

So, what does this have to do with b2b marketing?

Good marketing is reflective of the people who create – but it should also be reflective of our society in general. Britain is more diverse that ever, but there’s a danger that this diversity isn’t being accurately reflected across our industry.

I don’t advocate giving people special tokens simply for being X, Y or Z – this industry should be a meritocracy – but I do believe we should do more to attract and develop more minority talent. This is not out of some grand plan with lofty high-minded ambitions – simply that we should make sure that our industry has enough different perspectives within it to accurately and authentically speak to the Britain of 2015 and beyond.

Britain and its Creative Industries are only going to get more diverse over the coming years, so I say the time is now to make sure that we’re ready to meet that challenge.

]]>After spending months, or maybe years, monitoring your Twitter analytics, you probably have your follower/followee rates memorised better than your mother’s birthday. You’ve taken valuable time winning over your readers, carefully considering every one of those 140 characters, scouring through hashtags and trends, searching for the best industry content to retweet…and now the worst has happened. You’re starting to lose followers!

Don’t worry. You’re not alone.

Today, Tweeters are in more control than ever before, following and unfollowing accounts and threads at a whim. It is the ebb and flow of social media usage, both inevitable and cyclical. After all, it’s estimated that 12% of Twitter users unfollowed at least one brand in the last few days, and 16% of users will unfollow a brand to simply clear up clutter on their news feed.

But when changes in followers fall outside the average tide, red flags should shoot up. No need to panic and backtrack through your feed just yet, though. The likelihood is that you’ve simply fallen into one of the four categories of ‘Follower Bandits’ listed below – everyone has at some point. And once you recognise the error of your ways, get back in the saddle, set right your social media ways and grow your follower base once again.

The Overload Bandit:

Probably the most common cause of follower drop-off, the Overload Bandit, as the name implies, pushes out too much content, thereby bogging down a follower’s home stream. No one wants to plough through spam, and rather than skim over your posts adding the occasional retweet or favourite, you’ll be categorised as a spammer and the dreadful ‘unfollow’ button will be clicked.

Instead, watch the number of retweets/tweets you’re putting out. Even just five tweets posted back-to-back might send up a red flag to your followers. ‘Warning: I post a lot and will crowd your news feed.’ Space Tweets out over the course of the day, no matter how eager you are to share content. Chances are, your followers will be much happier to read a well thought out tweet an hour later by itself, rather than amongst a crowd of fast-fire tweets.

The Stale Content Bandit:

The world is an exciting place, and something new is happening every day; we want to be kept informed of exciting things happening in the right here, right now. Think of your tweeting habits like this. Followers aren’t looking to read the same news again and again, whether it’s original content or retweeted items. If you’re restating what the follower already knows, that ‘unfollow’ click won’t be too far away.

As it stands, approximately 20% of Twitter users will unfollow brands for this exact reason. Instead, be the one that stands out. Give your followers content they haven’t seen before, or a new spin on the hot topic of the day which incites curiosity. Just posting links won’t get you much authority either; ensure you contribute something personal with your post. By distinguishing yourself from the crowd, you’re a sure-fire keeper.

The Salesman Bandit:

Twitter is a social site, a place to make connections and engage with the digital network surrounding us all. Constantly trying to sell your company, or promote your service will only lead to an ‘unfollow’. Instead, prove you are a real person, with opinions and a distinctive voice. Join in conversations and make meaningful engagements. Work well on this, and you’ll draw good attention to yourself and your brand. Face it, would you want someone to try to sell you legal services at your dinner party? Not exactly, and others don’t want to you do it on Twitter either.

The Casual Bandit:

Pets and children are good fodder for commentary and photo-sharing, and everyone’s proud to share their exploits on social media. However, consider the purpose of your Twitter feed. If it’s for business or promoting your brand in a certain way, rethink your tweets about mud-covered Rover or the amazing lunch you just ate. Your digital image is important, and people form judgements off the content you post.

This judgement can stem down even to how well you use grammar in that precious little space. Therefore, think carefully before your tweet. Consider if the content truly represents the image/brand/identity of your social media profile to keep your followers hanging around for more.

Twitter is the numbers-game of all numbers-games, with 302 million monthly active users. It’s inevitable you’ll lose followers as people shift from account to account or their interests change over time. But to keep followers from drifting away in droves, you need to play the long game. Keep your content fresh and relevant, and most importantly, don’t spam. Simple in theory and in practice, but with some time, you’ll get the knack of the dos and don’ts and you’ll be growing in followers again.

]]>http://www.marketecture.co.uk/news/2015/07/are-bandits-stealing-your-twitter-followers/feed/0The Beauty of Youthhttp://www.marketecture.co.uk/news/2015/07/the-beauty-of-youth/
http://www.marketecture.co.uk/news/2015/07/the-beauty-of-youth/#commentsMon, 20 Jul 2015 09:25:41 +0000http://www.marketecture.co.uk/?p=7600Nobody likes to think of themselves as getting older, but it’s something that every being on this planet has to reconcile themselves with eventually. I am 32 years old, which...

Nobody likes to think of themselves as getting older, but it’s something that every being on this planet has to reconcile themselves with eventually. I am 32 years old, which obviously doesn’t qualify me for an easy chair just yet, but even at my age you occasionally encounter things that remind you that the pages are turning.

Like most agencies, Marketecture is very pleased to help emerging young talents gain experience by interning. I’m not a graphic designer, but my partner is – and it’s obvious from looking at her work that what you are taught about design in college is quite different to what you learn about design in the commercial arena. As such, I think interning is a great way for young people to refine their craft.

Our most recent studio intern was a talented young chap called Declan. In fact, why not check out his online portfolio? As you can see, Declan is already quite an accomplished designer. For me personally, I really like his way with colour. I also like his almost gothic aesthetic. I have no doubt that Declan will develop a really great career in the industry.

One day we invited Declan to join us at Marketecture’s current spot-du-jour, Love Conquers All right here at MediaCityUK. Over lunch we discussed many things, and it was a great chance to get to know Declan. I consider myself to be a child of the digital generation – in fact, I distinctly recall my first experience of the internet. I was 13 (the days of dial-up) and the first page I ever visited was the Kula Shaker website. What a depressing truth about my online life. I maintain their first album is good though.

As we chatted, it struck me that Declan’s experience of the internet and technology has been very different to mine. He’s only 12 years younger than me, but he’s literally grown up with it. In particular he mentioned that he’d been helping a friend make YouTube videos with polished graphics and production values. He spoke of this as it was the most natural thing in the world.

Of course, the beauty of modern technology is that it gets simpler and more easy to use each and every year. It isn’t difficult to film, edit and upload a half decent YouTube video with basic effects – but I’ve had to research these skills specifically, whereas Declan has picked them up as he’s gone along.

For Declan, this is just something that he does. In his mind, the only question is what can be achieved with the technology. In my mind, it’s about how something can be achieved. This might seem like a minor difference, but I believe it is actually quite fundamental.

So, what does this mean for agencies?

It’s said that there’s only two things certain in life – death and taxes. I would posit that there’s a third certainty too – the inevitability of irrelevance. I am convinced that no amount of study or practice would make me better at something than someone who’d literally grown up with it. We both might see the possibilities, but we see them very differently. So how do we reconcile this? The answer is simple – collaboration.

The best agencies are those that combine dogged experience with precocious talent. The best creatives are those that recognise the talents of others, and help shape those skills into something commercially valuable. The best projects are those that harness the commercial potential of talent, but retain the spark of authenticity that makes that talent great in the first place.

As I say, irrelevance is inevitable. The modern world is changing very quickly, so it’d be unrealistic to believe that you can keep up with it entirely. I suppose that might be a dispiriting notion to some people, but I find it inspiring. In 20 years or so, I have no doubt that Declan and his contemporaries will be using their talent and experience to create things that I wouldn’t and couldn’t have ever thought of. And that, for me, is a great thing.

]]>Uncovering the results of the first ever British copywriting census, the DMA hosted an engaging debate last night in Manchester.

With a real mix of writers, account handlers, agency folk, in-housers and freelancers in the room, as well as compere Mark Runacus from the DMA, and panel members Richard Sharpe from the Sharp agency, Dan Nixon from Cube3, and Sarah Hooper from venue hosts AmazeOne, it made for an interesting discussion and debate on the state of British copywriting and its future direction.

Faced with industry challenges, including the democratisation of writing (everyone is now a ‘writer’), and words being replaced by iconography such as emoticons and infographics, the debate focused on writers’ roles in the digital climate, and how to get the best copy for a specified brief (if there is a brief!).

While some of the census results were cause for concern, for example that only 5 per cent of writers are happy with every piece of work they do, the general feeling among attendees was that with clearer briefing processes and better communication between writers, account handlers and clients, writers have a great opportunity to be the voice of brands and help shape their messaging.

Here at Marketecture, we really value great copy, whether it’s for an ad campaign, an editorial article, or a tweet. Sure, everyone can write words on a screen, but not many people can craft those series of letters and symbols into something that leaves you wanting more. It’s a real skill, and one that we think deserves to take centre stage now and then.

]]>http://www.marketecture.co.uk/news/2015/07/dma-event-the-big-census-reveal/feed/0What’s the point?http://www.marketecture.co.uk/news/2015/07/whats-the-point/
http://www.marketecture.co.uk/news/2015/07/whats-the-point/#commentsThu, 16 Jul 2015 10:12:11 +0000http://www.marketecture.co.uk/?p=7589Why are we doing this? Seriously, what’s the point? It’s a good question, but I don’t mean it in an esoteric way – do you ever stop and question whether...

Why are we doing this? Seriously, what’s the point? It’s a good question, but I don’t mean it in an esoteric way – do you ever stop and question whether what you’re doing is worth the time, effort and money? You really should.

So, why am I writing this blog? If I may, I’m going to be brutally honest – I’m writing this blog to both improve the relevance of my marketing, advertising and design agency’s website in the eyes of Google. I’m also doing it to help position Marketecture as thought leader in b2b marketing related topics. In fact, I’m probably going mention Marketecture, b2b and marketing a fair few times in this post – but not too many because I don’t want Google’s all-seeing eye to think I’m trying to trick it.

That really would be cheap shot from a professional b2b marketing, advertising and design agency located at MediaCityUK.

So, that’s my point right now – but what is yours?

One of the most interesting things about working in an agency is seeing how often very different businesses market themselves. The most successful ones always have an overarching plan. We’re here to help develop, shape and facilitate that strategy. The less success clients are those who do things because doing something is better than doing nothing.

Everything you do marketing-wise should have a clearly defined point. It should be clear why you’re planning that activity. It might sound blindingly obvious, but you’d be surprised how easy to is to lose sight of what you’re actually doing – and that’s the quickest route to wasting time, money and resources. There should always be more of a point that ‘we just haven’t sent anything out recently’. If there isn’t, what you’re doing is probably wrong – or at the very least fundamentally flawed.

The secret to creating effective marketing activity is to know what every aspect is supposed to achieve, and how it fits into the bigger picture. If you were being fancy, you’d call it the ‘customer journey’ – but that’s actually a good way of looking at it. Successful b2b campaigns should tell a story, have a narrative.

It should put its arm around the shoulder of your customer, and walk them through the whole process from shaking hands to closing the deal. Every time you speak to the customer – be it by email, DM or whatever else you’ve dreamed up – it should have a clearly defined role in telling your story. If it doesn’t, what you’re doing is likely to be pointless. It’s all about building a relationship.

So, next time you consider developing some marketing activity, don’t forget to ask yourself one very important question – what’s the point?

]]>http://www.marketecture.co.uk/news/2015/07/whats-the-point/feed/0A Lucky Intern’s First Weekhttp://www.marketecture.co.uk/news/2015/07/a-lucky-interns-first-week/
http://www.marketecture.co.uk/news/2015/07/a-lucky-interns-first-week/#commentsTue, 14 Jul 2015 13:13:52 +0000http://www.marketecture.co.uk/?p=7585A week ago, I stood at the base of MediaCityUK’s Blue Tower unsure of which button to push on the elevator, and oh how have things changed. Being an intern...

]]>A week ago, I stood at the base of MediaCityUK’s Blue Tower unsure of which button to push on the elevator, and oh how have things changed. Being an intern can be an intimidating experience: you never know if people will hate you, or if at day’s end you might be fired. Well, today I’m sitting in my office chair proud to say that neither have happened.

*Jumps in victory*

Besides the simple fact of still having a job, I’ve actually never looked forward to Mondays so much – never mind the rest of the days of the week. From being thrown into a client meeting within an hour of starting my internship to writing blog posts, and researching aviation legislature to potato growth rates, I can safely say my experience has been both eclectic and exciting. There are few jobs in which every day is a complete surprise, but I definitely found one that is. Keeping me on my toes every minute, the Marketecture team welcomed me with open arms and are happy to include me in everything I ask to get my hands on – except the life-size storm trooper staring at me. I’m still too shy to take a commemorative photo with the Galactic solider, but I promise you this, that photo WILL be taken before my time here is up!

Unfortunately, my internship will only last 6 weeks, but I hope that in the coming days, I’m able to continue to make real contributions to the agency. I’ve already learned so much, pushing myself to create content that’s both exciting and new. I’m in awe at the passion, creativity, and talent surrounding me and I can’t wait to absorb as much as I can.

]]>Here at Marketecture we love to share great client news – and in the haulage sector – news gets no bigger or better than winning a Motor Transport Award.

As such we are thrilled to announce that our client Palletline has won Motor Transport’s Safety in Operation award for the second time in three years at a ceremony hosted by Irish stand-up comedian and actor Ed Byrne held at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel.

While we’re sure it looks just fantastic alongside their RoSPA Gold Awards for occupational health and safety – a problem does spring to mind – we hope there’s enough room on the shelves over there guys 

Knowing how hard every member of staff at Palletline works to uphold the highest safety standards – the team here at Marketecture would like to congratulate everyone on another well-deserved award. Keep on trucking team!

]]>http://www.marketecture.co.uk/news/2015/07/palletline-hauls-yet-another-safety-award/feed/0Content may be king – but distribution is the ace in the packhttp://www.marketecture.co.uk/news/2015/06/content-may-be-king-but-distribution-is-the-ace-in-the-pack/
http://www.marketecture.co.uk/news/2015/06/content-may-be-king-but-distribution-is-the-ace-in-the-pack/#commentsTue, 23 Jun 2015 17:13:16 +0000http://www.marketecture.co.uk/?p=7394The world is coming down with ‘content creators’ these days – so much so that many brands are just ploughing out reams of information with little thought as to who...

]]>The world is coming down with ‘content creators’ these days – so much so that many brands are just ploughing out reams of information with little thought as to who is seeing it or what its intended purpose is!

Content creation is the sexy side of content marketing – everyone wants to get into it. I mean, who doesn’t like to craft entertaining stories and pull out new insights from fresh new data?

Problem is, it’s the more technical (and often under-valued) discipline of content distribution that’s most crucial to getting measurable returns from your investment – and far fewer content creators are interested in that dry process-driven stuff!

Unfortunately for them, a lack of attention to distribution is a recipe for content disaster. After all, the best content in the world isn’t going to do much if it doesn’t reach the people you need it to reach.

And in an age ‘content shock’, it’s unlikely that those targets are going to simply stumble upon your finely crafted e-guides and blog posts. It needs to be delivered to them in compelling and intriguing ways to get them to engage.

So, how do you cut through the noise and get your content out there successfully? It isn’t easy, but adding some of the below techniques into the mix might just be the boost needed to start giving real bite to your content activities.

Analogue content

All too often content marketing is seen as almost interchangeable with digital marketing – but this couldn’t be further from the truth.

The Content Marketing Institute describes it as a“marketing and business process for creating and distributing relevant and valuable content to attract, acquire, and engage a clearly defined and understood target audience – with the objective of driving profitable customer action.”

You might note that the words ‘digital’, ‘internet’ or ‘online’ play no part in that definition. In fact, examples of great content marketing go as far back as 1895, with John Deere’s launch of The Furrow customer magazine.

Still in existence, The Furrow is an educational journal printed in 14 languages and distributed to over 1.5 million farmers and industry experts across the globe. Its purpose is purely to provide insights and best practice examples on the latest agricultural issues and trends.

Take a leaf out of John Deere’s book. You may find that the most successful way to get content in front of your key audiences is to hand printed brand magazines out at trade conferences, for example, or by showcasing infographics and whitepapers via seminars.

It’s also an industry currently worth US$7.9 billion a year globally (set to grow to US$21 billion in 2018), making it an important income stream for media outlets in an age when overall newsbrand ad revenues are decreasing.

That said, true native advertising has been a little slower to take off in the b2b domain than in the consumer space. But rather than see this as a reason to ignore it, this opportunity deficit is something that innovative b2b brands could instead look to really take the lead in.

Many trade media sites already offer ‘resource hubs’, where they host and promote third party whitepapers and guides for a fee.

As brands grow used to having greater control over the content they create, savvy editors are likely to start offering more sophisticated packages which enable brands to directly place promoted content directly amongst core journalistic articles.

So why not think about helping your industry’s trade bible develop its offering with your brand as a test case?

Automate this

The best content programmes provide a user experience that is closely aligned around all the stages in a prospect’s engagement with a brand – from initial awareness gaining, right through to seeking proof points on a specific service offering.

This is where marketing automation comes into play. Automation platforms allow marketers to track and progress prospects from an initial email campaign or landing page datacapture, across all their consequent online interactions, through to informing the sales team to follow up on a fully warmed up lead.

Even better, marketing automation platforms can react to the on-site behaviours and preferences of prospects to deliver a highly personalised journey along the way, funnelling leads down different content streams based on their past interactions.

It’s a highly effective and very trackable way to serve the right content, at the right time, to the right people.

There’s a vast array of off-the-shelf-platforms available. They all integrate easily into most CRM systems and dynamically score leads as they move from MQL to SQL, acting as an effective bridge between sales and marketing.

Marketing automation is perfect for the multi-person, complex decision-making units that characterise most b2b markets. I’m confident the industry is only going to continue growing. So if you’re not looking at what automation could do for you, perhaps now’s the time!

So, there you go – a taste of a few great content distribution techniques that could help ensure none of your finely crafted assets go to waste. If you want to talk over how we could help you deliver content campaigns that generate meaningful results, get in touch.